Apple's latest iMac is a looker, but where's the Blu-ray and HDTV support?

Now that we've all recovered from the effects of Steve Jobs' reality distortion ray it's time to reset our phasers to stun and take a critical look at the latest iMac. You know, the swanky new aluminium and glass model that Apple's head honcho unsheathed last week.

Firstly, although I'm generally a big fan of Apple's industrial design, I won't miss the outgoing iMac. With acres of cheap and chintzy plastic, limited adjustability and a general air of chunky crudeness, the big white pizza box was one of Apple's weakest designs in recent years. Aesthetically it was a dud, particularly compared with its predecessor, the delectable G4 "angle-poise" model.

OK, so the new model pretty much carries over the same form factor. But the upgraded materials and slimmer frame make all the difference. Once again the iMac is physically extremely desirable. That ought to be a given for an Apple product.

Gratuitously glossy?

Still, I have my doubts regarding the glass screen cover introduced with this latest iMac. "Customers love glossy screens," said Jobs at the launch. And no doubt it gives a slick and glossy look to the new iMac.

But is it a case of victory for form over function? Trawl the web for amateur images of the new iMac and the one thing common to almost all of them is highly distracting reflections on the surface of the screen. And since the reflections are being generated by a glass cover rather than one of those glossy, high-contrast screen coatings, I reckon Apple has conspired to deliver all the downsides of a shiny screen and none of the benefits.

My other major gripe with the latest iMac is the conspicuous absence of HD DVD or Blu-ray drives (Apple is a fan of Blu-ray, of course). Apparently the new iMac does boast internal HDCP support. So, it's ready and waiting to play encrypted HD content. But without an HD disc format this brand new iMac already feels a little dated.

I'd at least like to see a next-gen drive offered as a option, however pricey. Especially considering the difficulty of upgrading the drive in a mono-box system like the iMac after purchase.